Canadian Federal Government Mandates 'Rule Of Two'

Lufthansa Group said in a statement Friday that it is adopting a “rule of two” for aircraft cockpits across all of its carriers.

In coordination with the Luftfahrtbundesamt (Germany’s aviation authority), the other German airlines and the German aviation industry association (Bundesverband der deutschen Luftverkehrswirtschaft), the airlines of the Lufthansa Group are to adopt a new cockpit occupancy procedure as a precautionary measure. Under the new procedure, two authorized persons must be present in the cockpit at all times during a flight. 

The passenger airlines of the Lufthansa Group will adopt the new procedure as soon as possible, in due consultation with their national aviation authority.  

The Lufthansa Group is also expanding its safety structures. In addition to the safety pilots at each of its member airlines, the new position of Group Safety Pilot has been created until further notice. The new post will be assumed with immediate effect by Captain Werner Maas, who will hold it in parallel with his current function as Safety Pilot of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Captain Maas will have overarching groupwide responsibility for examining and further refining all flight safety-relevant procedures in his new capacity, in which he reports directly to Group CEO Carsten Spohr.

easyJet also said it is adopting the new guidelines. In a statement, an airline spokesman said "easyJet can confirm that, with effect from ... Friday March 27, it will change its procedure which will mean that two crew members will be in the cockpit at all times.

"The safety and security and of its passengers and crew is the airline's highest priority."

The Canadian federal government on Thursday issued an emergency order requiring all Canadian airlines to have two crewmembers in the cockpit at all times. 

The Toronto Star reports that Transport Minister Lisa Raitt said the order is effective immediately, and applies to all commercial flights carrying passengers.

"I am issuing an order to require two members on the flight deck at all times on Canadian planes,” Raitt said. “This order is seeking to fill a gap that is in the rules. Currently, there is not the requirement to have two members.

“All we’re saying is that you have to have two crew members in the flight deck at all times. It doesn’t matter who it’s going to be. It could be a flight attendant, it could be a customer service person, but they have to be members of the cabin crew,” Raitt said.

(Images from file)

FMI: www.lufthansa.com, www.easyjet.com, www.tc.gc.ca/eng/menu.htm